Office of the VP for Communications – Keeping alumni and friends connected to U-M

Alumni Notes

James Habel

BBA ’98/MBA ’05, recently joined PKC Group–North America as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in Farmington Hills, Mich. Prior to that Habel had been the finance director/business unit CFO of TRW’s North America Steering business.

Scott Singer

MBA ’96, founded Insider Career Strategies, LLC, a firm assisting job seekers with every phase of their job search, including coaching and resume writing, as well as helping small and medium-sized companies develop and implement their recruitment strategies. He can be reached at scott.singer@insidercs.com.

David R. Roth

BBA, is a partner in the Real Estate Practice Group of the Houston-based firm Jones Walker. Roth has more than two decades of broad-based transactional experience working both in-house and in private practice with public and private companies. He counsels clients in a broad range of transactions and financing in the energy industry, including projects involving electric power; onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration and production; transportation and pipelines; liquefied natural gas processing; commodity marketing and trading; and ancillary services such as equipment supply and seismic analysis.Prior to joining Jones Walker, Roth served as general counsel of Northern Star Generation LLC, a multiple private equity fund held power-generation company with operations across the United States. Roth is a member of the State Bars of Texas and California.

David Kaufman

MPP, Ford School, is VP and director of CNA Corp.’s Safety and Security Division (SAS) in Arlington, Va. Kaufman is responsible for overall executive management for the development and execution of all work in SAS, including the areas of public safety, homeland security, emergency management, and public health. He previously worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as FEMA’s associate administrator for policy, program analysis, and international affairs.

Dominique Lee

’07, was honored in 2015 by the The Russell Berrie Foundation, an organization that celebrates unsung community heroes throughout New Jersey. Lee was honored for his work as the founder of Building Responsible Intelligent Creative Kids (BRICK), a New Jersey school that uses a holistic teaching approach to address the needs of students growing up in poverty so they can succeed academically. BRICK has vastly improved the educational prospects of some of New Jersey’s most disadvantaged students, in many cases raising kids’ reading abilities by four grade levels and putting them on a path to college.

Jacki Peck Skole

AB ’90, will see her first book, Dogland, published in August 2015. Part memoir, part investigative journalism, the book chronicles the author’s journey, which begins when she brings home an eight-week-old puppy from a New Jersey rescue organization. As she gets to know the dog she comes to wonder how such a young animal could have so many idiosyncrasies. So she sets out to find an answer. See more about the book at ashlandcreekpress.com/books/dogland.html.

Dr. Eugene Schiff

AB, was honored in April 2015 by the Hepatitis B Foundation, the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide. The foundation honored Dr. Schiff with the 2015 Baruch S. Blumberg Prize for advancing the care and treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Dr. Schiff is director of the Schiff Center for Liver Diseases at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and was unanimously selected for the Blumberg Prize in honor of his pioneering work in hepatitis B and its medical management.

Robert Steger

MSW ’78, was honored with the 2014 U-M School of Social Work Distinguished Alumni Award.
During his distinguished 43-year Army career as an officer and a social worker, he has advocated for improved services for the military community. Through problem-solving, educating, listening, supporting and empathizing he has guided thousands of active and retired military members toward gaining control over their lives. His impact on the military community has been immeasurable and exemplifies the vision of the University of Michigan School of Social Work: “A better society through individual and social change.”

Brodie Killian

BBA ’01/MPP ’03, joined William Blair & Company in November 2014. Killian is director in the debt capital markets group of the Chicago-based global investment and asset management firm. Located in the firm’s newly opened metro Detroit office, Killian’s primary responsibilities focus on financing initiatives for Michigan schools and community colleges. Additionally, Killian will provide financing services to Indiana and Ohio markets. Prior to joining William Blair, Killian served as the deputy superintendent of business and operations for Plymouth Canton Community Schools. With several years of banking experience focused in the metro Detroit area, Killian’s financing efforts will help Michigan and surrounding states meet their public education goals.